Julie Maughan's Raceday Report Thu 30th June 2016 - El Kay Grande

EL KAY GRAND GIVES JOY TO OWNER AND TRAINER

"I just like harness racing – it’s a great sport" that is how Henry Campbell summed it up after his mare El Kay Grand had a victory at Tamworth.

Campbell who is domiciled at Tamworth has El Kay Grand in the Mitch Faulkner stables who trains out of Uralla.

"She has got a nice little turn of foot but we haven’t had a good barrier draw to test her out" said Faulkner who handled the Bettors Delight USA-Kayceem Grand mare in the race.

In fact El Kay Grand had her win at the second attempt of running the Rising Star Sam Ison Pace after a fall in the first endeavour saw Ima Toastmasta with James Harding in the spider hit the track and two reinsmen in Tom Ison and Peter Missen being dislodged from their carts.

With four scratching’s from the first attempt six pacers then shaped up for take two.

"She was nice and relaxed in her run and I thought we would cut loose at the 400 and see what she has got and the quarters were suiting her" added Faulkner.

Faulkner had El Kay Grand in the one by one as the bell sounded with Zippa Model (Stacey Weidemann) leading the field and Artistica Uno (Peter Hedges) racing out in the breeze.

El Kay Grand was perfectly poised in the one by one with a lap to go.

"All we needed was a bit of luck" added Faulkner

Rounding the final turn Faulkner pulled El Kay Grand three wide to power past the leader and take the event by 13.7 metres over Rhiannon Shannon (Jason Proctor) and Chariot Duchess (Lola Weidemann) 2 metres away third.

Henry Campbell purchased El Kay Grand with the intent of breeding from the five year old mare but that idea may have changed just a fraction after the win.

"I brought her with the intention of breeding from and I thought she was nearly up to race standard when I got her so I thought we would keep her going - she has been going good with no luck"

From eight starts since her purchase for Henry Campbell El Kay Grand had produced two placings before the win.

"They ran along a bit today" added Campbell with the mile rate for the1980 metres coming in at 2.03.1 "but I have got my money back for her now"

"I think she is the most well bred horse around here and that is why I brought her as a broodmare but I think I will keep racing her"

"She pulls up well each time and as long as she enjoys it we will keep racing" added Campbell.

Henry Campbell is no stranger to harness racing and has kept his interest and involvement in the sport for numerous years and recalled racing horses back in the early 90’s like Happy Also, Fleetwood Happy and Paleface Matteven.

"I use to train and drive but when I came across from Coffs Harbour in 1989 to live in Tamworth I ended up working in the Judges Box for years. I kept training and let the others do the driving for me" added Campbell.

Julie Maughan